The Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) is one of the world’s most lucrative racedays and the last true international meet of the calendar year. One of the top prizes on offer is the Hong Kong Cup, which is one of four Group 1 races on the day along with the Hong Kong Mile, Hong Kong Vase and Hong Kong Sprint.
| Date | December 12, 2021 |
|---|---|
| Venue | Hong Kong Jockey Club, Sha Tin Racecourse |
| Distance | 2000 metres |
| Prize Money | HK$30,000,000 (US$3,859,000) |
| First Running | 1988 |
| 2020 Winner | NORMCORE (JPN) |
Best bookmakers for 2021 Hong Kong Cup odds
Bookies for the Hong Kong Cup
2020 Hong Kong Cup results
| Result | Horse | Trainer | Barrier | Jockey | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | NORMCORE (JPN) | Kiyoshi Hagiwara | 3 | Zac Purton | 8-10 |
| 2nd | WIN BRIGHT(JPN) | Matt Cumani | 8 | Masami Matsuoka | 9-0 |
| 3rd | MAGICAL(IRE) | A P O’Brien | 1 | Ryan Moore | 8-10 |
| 4th | DANON PREMIUM(JPN) | Mitsumasa Nakauchida | 6 | William Buick | 9-0 |
Hong Kong Cup history
The Hong Kong Cup (HKC) is one of the four Hong Kong International Races and sits as the richest 2000 metre race in the world, boasting a prize pool of HK$30,000,000.
The first running of HKC was in 1988 and was originally run in January with it only being open to horse trained in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia and was run at the 1800 metre mark. The next year they opened registrations up to horse trained in Australia and New Zealand. The following years they then opened it up to Europe (1990), United States (1991), Canada (1991) and Japan (1992) and bumped the distance to 2000 metres in 1999 making this not only the richest however one of the highest regarded 2000 metre horse races in the world.
Names such as Jim And Tonic, Fantastic Light, Designs On Rome and 2015 winner A Shin Hikari have graced the Cup in recent history and since 1990 it has become a race open to horses all over the world. Come 1992, horses from the United States, Canada and Japan were allowed to run in the Hong Kong Cup, and that has stood the test of time.
Hong Kong Cup records
- Fastest time: Normcore – 2:00.50
- Most wins: California Memory (2011, 2012)
- Most wins by a jockey: Frankie Detorri – Fantastic Light (2000), Falbrav (2003), Ramonti (2007)
- Most wins by a trainer: Anthony S. Cruz – California Memory (2011, 2012), Time Warp (2017)
- Most wins by an owner:
- Godolphin – Fantastic Light (2000), Ramonti (2007)
- Howard Liang Yum Shing – California Memory (2011, 2012)
Previous Hong Kong Cup results
| Year | Horse | Trainer | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Normcore (JPN) | Kiyoshi Hagiwara | Zac Purton |
| 2019 | Win Bright (JPN) | Yoshihiro Hatakeyama | Masami Matsuoka |
| 2018 | Glorious Forever | Frankie Lor | Silvestre de Sousa |
| 2017 | Time Warp | Anthony S. Cruz | Zac Purton |
| 2016 | Maurice (JPN) | Noriyuki Hori | Ryan Moore |
| 2015 | A Shin Hikari (JPN) | Masanori Sakaguchi | Yutaka Take |
| 2014 | Designs On Rome | John Moore | João Moreira |
| 2013 | Akeed Mofeed | Richard Gibson | Douglas Whyte |
| 2012 | California Memory | Anthony S. Cruz | Matthew Chadwick |
| 2011 | California Memory | Anthony S. Cruz | Matthew Chadwick |
| 2010 | Snow Fairy (UK) | Ed Dunlop | Ryan Moore |
| 2009 | Vision d’Etat (FR) | Eric Libaud | Olivier Peslier |
| 2008 | Eagle Mountain (SA) | Mike de Kock | Kevin Shea |
| 2007 | Ramonti (UAE) | Saeed bin Suroor | Frankie Dettori |
| 2006 | Pride (FR) | Alain de Royer-Dupré | Christophe Lemaire |
| 2005 | Vengeance of Rain | Saeed bin Suroor | Anthony Delpech |
| 2004 | Alexander Goldrun (IRE) | Jim Bolger | Kevin Manning |
| 2003 | Falbrav (UK) | Luca Cumani | Frankie Dettori |
| 2002 | Precision | David Oughton | Michael Kinane |
| 2001 | Agnes Digital (JPN) | Toshiaki Shirai | Hirofumi Shii |
| 2000 | Fantastic Light (UAE) | Saeed bin Suroor | Frankie Dettori |
| 1999 | Jim and Tonic (FR) | François Doumen | Gérald Mossé |